Beyond the product: a comparative policy analysis of visual arts assessment, equity and knowledge production in Hong Kong

Purpose This paper investigates how creativity, fairness and public credibility are operationalised within Hong Kong's senior secondary Visual Arts assessment (HKDSE). Guided by three explicit research questions, it examines whether the current assessment structure adequately supports subject aims and proposes a context-sensitive, process-oriented alternative framework. Design/methodology/approach The paper employs a comparative policy analysis of Hong Kong's HKDSE Visual Arts and South Australia's SACE Stage 2 Creative Arts. It integrates policy and curriculum document analysis with a theoretical framework synthesizing Deweyan perspectives on experiential inquiry, Bourdieuian cultural reproduction and contemporary assessment justice to evaluate the epistemological implications of assessment design. Findings While the HKDSE formally acknowledges artistic process via School-based Assessment (SBA), its operational logic remains dominated by high-stakes exam washback, standardized comparability and product curation. This limits exploratory learning and penalises students across unequal material, temporal and cultural conditions. The SACE comparison demonstrates that rigorous public credibility and process-based inquiry can be institutionally balanced within a public certification system. Research limitations/implications As a conceptual document and policy analysis, this study does not incorporate primary empirical data such as classroom observations or teacher interviews. The proposed hybrid assessment model represents a policy proposal that requires staged pilot testing across diverse secondary schools in Hong Kong to evaluate rubric reliability, moderation demands and teacher workload prior to systemic implementation. Practical implications The paper outlines a tri-partite hybrid model (35% External Exam, 35% Developmental Portfolio, 30% Resolved Submission) accompanied by moderation calibration, workload mitigation and teacher development protocols. Social implications A process-sensitive assessment framework mitigates socioeconomic resource disparities, validates arts-based inquiry as legitimate knowledge production and de-centers Eurocentric evaluative norms. Originality/value The paper establishes a critical policy matrix comparing HKDSE and SACE arts assessment architectures, demonstrating that high-stakes exam metrics structurally marginalise material-intensive practices and non-Western visual traditions. It proposes a grounded hybrid assessment model that redistributes epistemic authority and enhances educational equity in a post-colonial context.